Capital Equipment News December 2015

TIGHTER CONTROL AND REGULATION OF THE TRANSPORT INDUSTRY is needed to curb drink-driving accidents on South Africa’s roads

By Rhys Evans, Director of ALCO-Safe

C rosses from wood, markers from stone, some decorated with plastic flowers and others displaying pho- tographs of the dead. Roadside memo- rials marking the locations of fatal traffic accidents have become a common sight in South Africa. The unfortunate reality is that many of these accidents are caused by professional drivers in the transport indus- try, and the number of incidents that result from driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs is unacceptably high. Tight- er control and regulation of the transport sector, similar to that seen in the mining industry, is essential in helping to reduce the number of alcohol-related accidents, injuries and deaths on our roads.

African national injury mortality surveillance system, there were 25 361 fatal injuries registered at 32 of the state mortuaries in 2001. This represents approximately 35% of all non-natural mortality in South Africa in that year. Transport-related deaths account- ed for 27% of all the fatal injuries. These statistics show that the transportation sector plays a significant role in the rate of accidents and fatalities on our roads. As recommended by WHO, a more regulated environment is essential. This needs to in- clude the enforcement and auditing of daily, compulsory breathalyser testing and ran- dom drug testing as well as comprehensive alcohol and substance abuse policies, train- ing and education.

accidents – a staggering 3000 every day. Global forecasts predict that the number of fatalities on the roads will continue to in- crease dramatically if this current trend con- tinues. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has emphasised the need for effective legis- lation to be implemented to ensure that the transportation industry becomes regulated and monitored, in order to reduce this trend. Alcohol consumption remains a major con- tributing factor to both the risk of road traffic incidents as well as the severity of injuries and the rate of fatalities that result. While the frequency of drinking and driving varies between countries, decades of re- search have shown that drunk drivers have a significantly higher risk of being involved in a road crash than drivers who have not consumed alcohol. According to the South

Worldwide statistics indicate that every year around 1.2 million people die in road traffic

The South African mining industry is an

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